Teen Series | When life doesn't make sense: A lesson from the Annunciation

Highschool Reflection | Luke 1: 26-38, 6th Wednesday of Lent, 2026, Year B.

Note: Reflection published four days prior to the liturgical day.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that made little sense at the time, only to realise later that it carried a deeper purpose? If that does not resonate with you, it has nonetheless been the pattern of my life. Several years ago, my formation for the priesthood ended abruptly; after seven years of living the vow of poverty in humble obedience, I found myself with almost nothing and shown the door. 

Thankfully, a parishioner nearby offered me temporary refuge for a semester in her non-compliant attic so that I could complete one unit of study while working part-time. However, towards the end of the academic semester, I could sense my host was eager to show me the door as she valued her solitude and didn’t want a long-term tenant. Alongside the studies and work, I searched for employment and accommodation and before I knew it, I found myself renting a room in the country, working on a dairy farm nearby, feeling even more confused. “What am I doing here on a farm?” I wondered. The wage was thin, rent high, and before long I was evicted, only to discover that I had also lost my job. This drove me further into the country, where I slept on a new friend’s couch before eventually settling into a converted chook pen. Even there, exposed to the cold from the nearby river and poorly sealed against the winter, I could not make sense of my circumstances.

The confusion was sharpened by what had come before. At the end of my Bachelor of Science, I was awarded a generous scholarship to pursue a master’s degree. It was sufficient to clear my personal debts and allow me to enter the seminary without delay. Yet seven years later, I found myself no longer in formation but effectively destitute. None of it aligned with the path I had imagined. Like Mary in the Gospel, I found myself asking, “What does this mean?”

In today’s reading, Mary is troubled by the appearance of the angel Gabriel, who brings good news that defies all natural expectations: that she, a virgin, will conceive: “But how can this come about?” she asks. Yet despite the bewilderment and uncertainty, her response is one of extraordinary trust: “Let what you have said be done to me.”

This Gospel reveals that moments of confusion and disruption are not outside the scope of God’s will. When our plans collapse and the present seems incoherent, these very circumstances may be the place where God is at work. At times, life may feel stable and predictable; yet just as quickly, it can be overturned, redirecting our course in ways we neither expect nor desire. In such moments, our Christian response is not despair, but to hold firm in the will of God with faith, hope, and charity, like Mary our model, trusting that even the most unexpected experiences can be gathered in God’s providence.

As school students, even though our experience at high school is of a very high standard, we are not exempt from the disruptions of life: like students in different uniforms in the neighbouring area, we too may feel emotionally low to the point of needing external support. We may also miss out on selection when things seem to be proceeding smoothly or find ourselves injured through an unforeseeable accident. These life’s episodes can throw us off course, forcing us to reconsider original plans that often introduces fear and anxiety due to the uncertainty of moving forward. 

At other times, the disruption is far more serious when we might lose a loved one; it might be a grandparent, a friend, or even someone closer to home. Experiences like these shake us deeply, yet they need not define us. Instead, they can become opportunities in which we rediscover God’s will in our own lives, and learn to accept, with humility, that they are part of a greater plan. Like Mary, who gave the world the Christ child, we too can allow God to use those moments for good, even to the point of changing the course of history, whether here in our school community or beyond the college’s boundary. 

So, what does God have in mind for us? We just keep searching, listening, and be open to saying yes allowing God to work through us to change the world for a better place. 

Junior Series | Why shouldn’t we judge others? A lesson on forgiveness, integrity, bullying, and choosing mercy over condemnation (John 8: 1 - 11)

Junior School Reflection | John 8: 1 - 11, 5th Tuesday of Lent, 2026, Year B

Note: reflection published three days prior to the liturgical day.

Life is one big journey that brings with it lots of new and exciting discoveries. We make discoveries when we are at school learning a new and interesting topic, when we’re at home watching something new, and of course when we are on holidays with friends and family, going to new and exciting places we have never been before. However, sometimes on these journeys, we face challenges where we choose what is wrong instead of what is right. In the classroom, this kind of mistake might look like speaking when you should be listening; taking something from your buddy that doesn’t belong to you; and on the playground, we might do something a little more harmful and bully someone with harsh words or use force and hurt them, when in fact we should have shown them the basic respect they deserved as human beings and school pupils. So while life is full of fun and exciting opportunities, there are moments on this journey when we make mistakes that make our lives harder.

In the Gospel we just heard and the video we just watched, we learnt of a woman who was caught doing something wrong by influential people. These people are called the Pharisees in this text. They presented the woman to Jesus not because they wanted her punished, but because they wanted to trap Jesus instead. The text said the Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. When Jesus was alive, he wasn’t popular with some people in the community, especially those who strictly followed the law and rejected his message.

The pharisees thought the best way to get rid of Jesus was to try and outsmart him. So, they presented to Jesus a woman who was caught doing something very wrong and asked Jesus his thoughts about the situation. They knew that if Jesus said she shouldn’t be punished, he would go against the Mosaic Law and seem less trustworthy as a teacher. Bur if he supported punishment, Jesus would get in trouble with the Roman authorities, since they reserved the right to carry out punishment. No matter what he decided, it would place Jesus in serious danger.  

If you paid close attention to the reading, you would remember that Jesus said to his opponents, “Let the first person without sin cast the stone.” Hands up if you think you know what Jesus is saying here? What Jesus is saying is that anyone in the room who has never done anything wrong has the right to judge this woman. And if we were paying attention to the story, you will remember that all the people present, ready and willing to punish this woman, left the scene. Every person in that scene had sinned before and, as a result, did not have a right to judge this woman for her actions. 

The lesson from this Gospel is simple: do not be so quick to judge others. Everyone, except Jesus, who is man and God, has sinned. We are sinners, and like the woman in the story and the those who tried to have her punished, we deserve to be heard and understood for the mistakes we make. We are capable of saying sorry and turning away from those mistakes. Sometimes we make mistakes because we do not know right thing to do is at the time. Sometimes our judgements are wrong and so, for this reason, we should be more reserved in passing judgement. Only God knows our hearts more so than ourselves, more so than anyone in this room. Because he truly knows us and understands why we make our decisions, only he is worthy to judge. 

While we are called not to judge others, there is something more important this Gospel reading wants to teach us. While Jesus is the only person in the room with the woman, he does not judge her for her sins. Instead, Jesus forgives her and tells her to sin no more. It’s a hard request, I know, because we are always learning and growing and so we will sometimes make mistakes along the way. But the main point is this: even if others do not forgive us, Jesus will forgive us every time we come to him in prayer. 

This school term, we are learning the value of integrity. We remember that this word means to do the right thing, to stand up for what is right. In our classroom, we listen to the one who is talking; on the playground, we welcome those who might feel left out and has no one to play with. These are just a couple things which we should stand up for. We also just learnt that we should not judge others because all of us here can make mistakes too, even the same mistakes that others make, and sometimes we do not know why the other person has hurt us or another person. More importantly, we should be open to forgiving those who wrong us. This is Jesus’ message. When we become mindful of our own weakness to sin and don’t judge but instead learn to forgive, we are showing integrity. Why? Because it is always the right thing to show our friends, teachers and loved ones.

Now, before I end this reflection, how many here have dobbed on somebody in for making a mistake at home, in class or in the playground? Sometimes, the characters of the Pharisees and the woman in this Gospel reflect our own life:  we make mistakes like the woman, and we are often quick to judge others without recognising our own shortcomings. 

Let’s be people of integrity by showing love and forgiveness.

Disclaimer: Gospel reading taken from Monday 5th week of Lent. Actual reading for Tuesday 5th week of Lent: John 8: 21-30. 

Teen Series | Can You Download Wisdom? Neuralink, AI, and the Gospel: Adapting to Change Without Losing Discipline

Highschool Reflection | Matthew 18: 21-35, 3rd Wednesday of Lent, Year B, 2026

We all love a good shortcut and often wish we could fast-track learning with less effort. In fact, Elon Musk, a name known to most, if not all of us, is developing a brain chip called Neuralink that is designed to connect our minds directly to computers. This innovation may one day allow people to download information straight into their brains. It sounds like the ultimate shortcut… but the question is: would it actually make us wiser? When this technology eventually rolls out, much like tools such as ChatGPT, we will have to adapt the way we learn so that we use these conveniences wisely and continue putting in the effort required to truly learn and understand for ourselves.

In this Gospel we have just heard, Jesus corrects his followers about their misunderstanding of the Law. His disciples thought that because Jesus taught in a new way, the old rules and values of their tradition didn’t apply. For example, it was a custom of the Jews to wash their hands before a meal or entering a sacred place. If they failed to do so, they would become ritually impure. Because some of Jesus’ behaviour seemed more relaxed, his disciples assumed his new norms were an easier lifestyle. Instead, Jesus said the opposite. He explains that he has not come to scrap what already existed, but to fulfil it, revealing its deeper purpose and drawing people closer to God through knowing, loving and serving him. Jesus finishes by warning that anyone who teaches something different from his interpretation of the commandments will be held accountable.  

In school terms, this Gospel is like saying that standards, rules, and expectations aren’t obstacles to freedom; they are a framework that helps us grow as a community. I’m sure many of you who are athletically inclined would disagree. We cannot win a football match against another school or local club if we ignore discipline and training. Over time we become unfit and unable to perform on the oval. This is the same for any discipline such as studies, music or performing arts. It’s important that we don’t buy into the lie that we can win any race with shortcuts. Instead, when new methods of learning or training emerge, we adapt and use them wisely. That is what Jesus’ message is about. We must adapt to positive change. Under the old law it was sufficient to love your neighbour as yourself.  This way of loving became renewed when Jesus began his preaching ministry and died for us on the cross. Jesus calls us to something deeper: to love others as he loved us, even when it requires sacrifice. 

At the end of the Gospel, Jesus tells us that if we change or misconstrue his teachings, we fail to achieve the reaches of the kingdom of heaven. While Jesus speaks about the future life we all hope to share with him and with those we have loved who have died, the kingdom can also be experienced in our present life. Our school tradition teaches that the kingdom of God is nothing other than the perfect life where we appreciate and love each other properly, able to give freely the things we have received from God as gifts. These might include sharing the gift of popularity with those who feel left out, or with gratitude sharing knowledge with those who know less and recognising academic excellence is not just a competition but something we can help one another achieve. Welcoming others and helping people grow are practical examples of respect, a value we have been learning to foster in our own actions throughout this school term.

Over time, however, we perfect our own individual existence, growing in good character and becoming the person God calls us to be. Perfection however requires discipline. As we pursue the disciplined life here at school in our learning and other activities, we discover something new about ourselves and the experience. We discover what we really want in life and that is realising our full potential is attainable as we become closer to God, who himself is the kingdom self-contained.

As a take-home message, I think it’s important to reflect on what is obstructing us from being disciplined, what small changes could we make so that we truly live out our school value of respect this term with discipline, so that we can be our true selves as people of the kingdom in the present. 

Junior Series | Letting Go of Resentment: Why Jesus says 77 times and more

Junior School Reflection | Matthew 18: 21 - 35, 3rd Tuesday of Lent, 2026, Year B

In the Gospel, and indeed throughout the Bible, the theme of forgiveness is a major topic. Sometimes the word reconciliation, to turn back or turn around, is also used in the same way as the word forgiveness. That is what forgiveness is; it’s a turning back towards someone from whom you have turned away.

The topic of forgiveness appears many times in the Bible for two reasons. The first is that there are many stories that talk about relationships that have been broken and need to be fixed. The second reason is that, as human beings today, we can be like those people found in Bible stories and hurt other people’s feelings too. So, for a very long time, since the time of our first parents, Adam and Eve, who are not mentioned in this Gospel, people have said and done some hurtful things that require forgiveness.

This shows us that forgiveness has always been part of human life. Since forgiveness features heavily in the Bible, it tells us there is something important about the message of forgiveness. God knows there is something unique about our human existence. We are social beings. This means we can relate to other people and form friendships that are lasting. When we form these friendships, it has a positive effect on us; it agrees with us, it makes us feel good, and so it is super important for our wellbeing and flourishing as humans. God has created us in a way that, to enjoy life, we live and share it with others in relationship. When we hurt those special relationships we have with others, it impacts how we operate and behave with them in a negative way. You see, life is a positive thing, a gift from God. We’re not made for a negative life experience but a positive one instead. So forgiveness is key to restoring the relationships we have hurt with others — whether with parents, friends, or teachers — back to a positive place, which helps us again to enjoy the life that God wants us to have.

In today’s Gospel, there are two important ideas connected to forgiveness that I want to explain. The first is the number 77. St Peter asked the question: how many times are we meant to forgive someone? He isn’t testing Jesus’ knowledge; Peter knows his own custom, and Jewish tradition teaches that he can forgive the same person three times before the authorities could issue a heavy punishment on that person. St Peter was wondering if Jesus’ message was any different from his tradition. Jesus told Peter that he should forgive someone 77 times. This number represents infinity; we never stop forgiving, in other words, because God will always forgives us every time we say sorry. Jesus is saying we should never stop accepting someone’s apology because, like the person who hurt us, we will make mistakes more than just three times in our own life journey, and God will continue to forgive us if we say sorry.

The second idea is the word gaol. In the parable we heard, the servant was sent to prison by the king because he was unwilling to forgive the debt of his own servant. While a gaol is a physical place, this word for us is a metaphor. What Jesus is saying is that we won’t be sent to a physical jail if we don’t learn to show forgiveness. Instead, we will not enjoy life properly, and that life will feel like a life lived in a gaol cell, which isn’t a positive experience.

There is a part in the Bible where Jesus says he wants you to have joy; in other words, God really wants us to be happy in our hearts and enjoy life. But he also knows when we carry the pain of unforgiveness, he knows we won’t really be happy; we will be less. And that’s when people seek revenge, anger comes in, jealousy, all those ugly things that diminish us.

So the message for us is always show forgiveness. The same person might hurt you more than three times, more than 77 times; just don’t close the door on forgiveness so that your quality of life is not diminished, but instead remains full of the joy, peace, and freedom that God wants you to have. Forgiveness doesn’t just help the other person; it helps free your own heart too.

Teen Series | Don't wait for a sign: Jesus' call to action

Highschool Reflection | Luke 11; 29-32, 1st Wednesday of Lent, Year B, 2026

In today’s Gospel, we hear about the presence of the crowd.

In the Bible, crowds often struggle with Jesus and his message. Why? It's because what he says and does challenges what feels normal and comfortable.

In this text, the crowd asks Jesus for a sign before they are willing to respond. In other words, they say, they want evidence and proof first. They want certainty. They want reassurance. They want to know it will be safe before they commit.

Jesus’ teaching is new to them. It doesn’t fit neatly with what they are used to. So instead of changing, they’d rather stick with what they know and let him move on.

Jesus pushes back on that way of thinking. He reminds us that there are people who have had far less evidence and still acted. The people of Nineveh changed their lives straight away. The Queen of the South recognised wisdom when she heard it and didn’t hesitate.

the point is simple:
The problem isn’t that there are not enough signs.
The problem is that people don’t want to act.

We often do the same thing.
We wait for the perfect moment.
We wait until we feel ready.
But deep down, we usually already know what the right thing to do is.

A great example of this kind of courage is Kurt Fearnley, one of Australia’s most respected Paralympians.

Kurt was born without the lower part of his legs. Growing up in regional New South Wales, he decided he wanted to compete in sport with students who weren’t physically disabled - not because it was easy, but because he wanted to challenge himself.

He trained hard, often by himself. There were no guarantees he would succeed. There were no signs telling him it would all work out. What he trusted instead was the process:
turning up, putting in the work, and not letting fear decide what he could do.

That courage paid off. Kurt went on to represent Australia at several Paralympic Games and won medals. But more importantly, he became known for his humility, resilience, and character.

The lesson isn’t about becoming famous or winning medals.
It’s about choosing courage before certainty.
It’s about committing to growth even when you don’t know how it will turn out.

That’s exactly what Jesus is getting at in today’s Gospel.
Courage doesn’t wait for reassurance.
It responds to what we already know is right.

So what does that look like for school students today?

It might mean staying quiet when you really want to talk in class.
It might mean introducing yourself in the boarding house instead of keeping to yourself.
It might mean putting more effort into homework, training, or co-curricular activities instead of making excuses.

None of those things need a sign from heaven. You don’t need certainty to start.

You just need to take the next right step.

Because courage isn’t about big heroic moments. It’s about small choices made every day.

Courage is trusting the process and doing the right thing - even when no one is watching.

Junior Series | Praying Like Jesus Did: simply and from the heart

 Junior School Reflection | Matthew 6: 7 - 15, 1st Tuesday of Lent, 2026, Year B

We have just heard a short reading from Matthew’s Gospel. The text we heard is a lesson on how to pray. Jesus prayed when he was on earth, and in this Gospel he teaches his friends how he speaks to God his Father.

How many of you pray each day? It’s okay if you don’t, or if you haven’t started yet. Perhaps some of you would like to begin. Perhaps some of you want to pray but simply don’t know how.

In today’s reading, Jesus shows us that prayer does not have to be complicated. When we pray, we speak to God in the same way we speak to our parents, and of course to our teachers. When we go to our parents or teachers, we usually go because we need help. We speak plainly. We say what we need.

Last week I met a wonderful young boy in Grade Five. I could see he wasn’t making progress with his classwork. After introducing myself, I asked why he hadn’t made a start on the activity. He said, very simply, “I don’t know what I’m doing. Can you help me please?”

There was nothing complicated about that. It was honest. Direct. From the heart.

That is how Jesus teaches us to pray.

When we talk to God, we do not need big words or perfect sentences. We keep it simple. We speak honestly. We ask for help when we need it.

In this Gospel passage, Jesus teaches his followers the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is made up of seven parts.

The first is: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name.
This is a prayer of faith. It expresses what we believe. We acknowledge who God is and we respect his name never using it carelessly or as a swear word.

The second is: Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
When we say this, we acknowledge that God is not distant or unreachable. We ask that his goodness be seen in the way we live and treat one another. Jesus came to tell us about this kingdom. Whenever we see people doing good actions or speaking kind words, they are bringing that kingdom into the present. They are showing us something greater.

The third is: Give us this day our daily bread.
Jesus is not telling us to ask for Tip Top or Bakers Delight bread. Rather, he is teaching us to ask for what we need each day to live well as good and faithful citizens of the world and students at school. If you are finding it hard to be kind, ask for the power of kindness. If you are tempted to lie, ask for the strength to be truthful. Yes, we have physical needs and can pray for them, but we are also spiritual beings. Jesus teaches us to ask for spiritual food.

Next, Jesus tells us to seek God’s forgiveness, but there is a condition. To receive God’s mercy, we must also be willing to forgive others. We must be open to accepting apologies and letting go of resentment. This helps us mature spiritually and become more like God, who is also forgiving.

The final part is: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Here, Jesus teaches us to ask God to help us make good choices. Every day we face decisions. When we choose what is right, we help make God’s kingdom known on earth. Good choices bring peace and fulfillment, the very things we long for. And when we choose truth and goodness more often, we find ourselves needing to say sorry less often.

That is what this Gospel is about.

How to pray.

We pray as Jesus prayed: simply, honestly, from the heart, asking for what we need to become better citizens in the world.

Junior Series | Chasing true treasure

Junior School Reflection | Matthew 13: 45 - 46 (a selected reading), 5th Tuesday in Ordinary time, 2026, Year B

Story: Looking in the right place

[text to story to be uploaded]

There is this great teacher by the name of Augustine of Hippo, who lived around the

4th century; what he taught then is still important today. He taught that in the depths

of the human heart lies hidden treasure which can change our lives. “How much

treasure we have within us,” he declared, “but we do not dig for it.” 

Instead, we look outside ourselves, like the story of the thief, it might be for a diamond jewel, it might

be in the enjoyment of an activity like marbles, maybe collecting some of the best

Pokémon cards, or winning at sport and hand ball in the school ground, but looking

for that treasure buried in the field of our lives, a treasure that is worth more, we

sometimes overlook.

What is this “field of our lives” I just mentioned? Well, its within ourselves, it’s in our

hearts.

I’m sure the very reason why we do not search for that treasure within our hearts is

because we do not know how to start looking for it, and if we did we probably would

spend time searching.

In the Gospel, Matthew tells us that the pearl of great price isn’t going to the cinema

experience, or winning a competition and collecting a medal, or being the most

popular person. He tells us that the greatest treasure comes from spending time with God, and he can be discovered in the quiet place of our hearts.

Going back to the story of the diamond thief, the story tell tells us that the man who

bought the pearl hid it in the pocket of the thief, the place where he failed to look.

Now, this pocket is no ordinary pocket, it’s the pocket of your heart, and like the

story, Jesus is telling us to look within yourself and isn’t that exactly what Matthew ‘s

Gospel says.